Device for adjusting journal-boxes



(No Model.)

J. A. SANFORD. DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING JOURNAL BOXES.

Patented Feb. 13, 1894.

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TN! NATIONAL LITNOGRAPHING' COMPANY WASNINGTOMD. 4:.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES A. SANFORD, OF LANSING, MICHIGAN.

DEVICE FOR ADJUSTING JOURNAL-BOXES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 514,837, dated February13, 1894.

Application filed October 10, 1892. Serial No. 448,477. (No model) Toall whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES A. SANFORD, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lansing, in the county of Ingham and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Device for Adj ustingJournal-Boxes and otherBearings, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1, is a top or plan View, partially broken away, of a journal boxhaving my invention applied thereto. Fig. 2, is a transverse section online 00 a: Fig. 1. Fig. 3, is a plan view of the separating or adjustingdevices detached. Fig. 4, is an edge view of the adjusting devices and asupplemental packing. Fig. 5, is a plan View of a modification. Fig. 6,is a plan view of the supplemental packing. Fig. 7, is an elevation of aspindle for shifting the adjusting devices. Fig. 8, is a modification ofFig. 7. Fig. 9, is a clamping bolt designed to be used with themodification shown in Fig. 5. Fig. 10, is a transverse section of ajournal box showing another modification of one part of the invention.

Like reference letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

One part of my invention relates to the combination with a stationaryand a movable part of a journal box, of two centrally slotted wedgingadjusting plates, and a locking bolt or spindle of which one end isarranged within the slots, and means for lockingthe bolt, to preventendwise movement of the slotted plates.

Another part of my invention relates to the combination with two boxmembers which are upon opposite sides of the shaft opening of aseparator interposed between the members, and means by which theseparator is adjusted relatively to both of the box members.

Another part of my invention relates more particularly to theconstruction of a two part separator which has two plates, each of whichis slotted and has cogs, in combination with a toothed spindle whichengages with the cogged plates, for simultaneously moving the plates inopposite directions; this part of myinvention being adapted fornse incombination with two box members, whether the separator is interposedbetween two box members which are upon opposite sides of the shaftopening, so that by adjusting the separator the box members can be movedaway from each other, or is arranged to thrust one box member toward theother member and the shaft.

Other parts of my invention. will be more particularly referred to inthe claims hereof.

A is the lower half or base of an. ordinary journal box except that eachof its flanges or wing portions is provided about centrally with asunken portion or recess, a. V

B is the upper movable or cap part of the bearing, its wings or flangesbeing provided each with a circular opening or seat, b thus constitutingan ordinary journal box having two members which are located upondifferent sides of the shaft opening or journal opening. With theseparts I propose to combine a compound wedging separator to be described.

0, G, are spindles, preferably fitting closely within the seats, b, soas to turn freely therein, and provided at their lower ends with cogs orteeth, 0, which forma sort of pinion or gear for each spindle. Bypreference I provide each spindle with a flange or shoulder, 0resembling the head of a bolt. The upper end of the spindle is eithersquared to receive a wrench or is provided with a hole, 0 to receive apin for the'purpose of turning the spindle, below which the spindle isscrewthreaded.

One form of the separating and adjusting devices is shown in Fig. 3,wherein D is a wedge-shaped plate or bar having a central opening, 01,with a row of teeth or cogs, d, at

one side thereof, each plate being further provided with open slots (1to receive the ordinary bolts, b', which are usually employed in journalboxes. The wedge-shaped plate E is a duplicate of the plate D, exceptthat it is turned end for end so that its thick end lies upon the thinend of plate D, when the parts are in working position, and that thecogs, e, are upon the opposite side of the central openmg, 6.

In order to increase the range of adj ustment- I propose to employ asupplemental packing plate, F, with a central opening, f, largeenough toreceive the pinion-like part of the spindle, C, with openings, f, at itsends to receive the bolts, 11, and by an examination of the drawings itwill be seen that the presence of the bolts in the slot-like openingswill counteract any tendency which might otherwise exist to twist thewedging plates about their centers; whereby said bolts are adapted toserve as guides for the plates.

Although the plate, F, when interposed between the two boX-membersserves as part of the separator by increasing or adding to the thicknessof the wedging plates D, E, yet it is not an essential part thereof,because it really performs no function so far as the adjusting of therelative positions of the two box members is concerned; and, in fact,may be entirely omitted wi hout in any manner affecting the character ofthe adjustment which is produced when either of the plates D or E ismoved endwise; hence, when I re fer to the separator as being in contactwith, or engaging with, the box members I do not wish to be limited toincluding the plate F,

- because under some circumstances the plate beari n g.

E rests directly upon the lower member of the In applying these devicesI propose to place the supplemental packing plate over the pinion of thespindle with its lower face resting upon the flange c. I then place thewedge shaped plate E upon the supplemental plate and the wedge-shapedplate D on top of plate E in about the position indicated in Fig. 4;that is to say, with their thick ends as near to each other as may bepracticable when their teeth or cogs are in engagement with oppositesides of the pinion. I then thrust the spindles up through their seatsZ), Z), in the cap of the box and screw the nuts G upon the threadedends of the spindles, so that the adjusting devices, or separators,together with the supplemental packing plates are so connected with thecap that they can all be placed in position upon the base or stationarymemher A of the box, care being taken that the slots in the ends of theplates register with the bolts 1). 1

It is evident that the devices D, E, F, serve as separators interposedbetween the two members of the journal box so'as to regulate theapproach of one membertoward the other member, in such manner that bymoving either or both of the wedge-shape plates the distance between twobox members which are upon different sides of the shaftopening can beregulated at will; that is to say, one box member can be positivelymoved away from another one and from the shaft, or the same member canbe permitted to approach the other one and the shaft.

\Vhile for convenience in manipulation I prefer the form of spindleshown in Figs. 2 and 7, it is obvious that the flange 0 may be omitted;in whichcase the other parts of the adjustable separator may be laidupon the lower or stationary member of the bearing with the spindles 0(Fig. 8) in proper mesh after which the cap of the box may be placed inposition and the nuts G, screwed on. Or the spindles may be put in placein the cap and the nuts G screwed on before the cap is put in place,care being taken that the plates D, E, are so placed that the teeth ofthe pinions will readily enter into mesh with the cogs d, 6, when thecap is put on.

In Fig. 5 I have shown a modification in which the cogs are omitted fromthe slotted wedge-shape plates; and I prefer to combine therewith anordinary bolt C (Fig. 9) to secure the supplemental packing and theother members of the separator to the cap of the box. In thismodification the wedge shape plates one or both of them, may be movedendwise,in either direction, by the use of any suitable implement; such,for instance, as a hammer and a set, particularly when rather closeadjustments are required, in which case a very slight movement of thenuts upon the bolts, 1), together with a slight movement of either ofthe wedge plates will effect an accurate adjustment of the two membersof the box relative to the inclosed shaft.

It will be understood from an examination of the drawings, particularlyFigs. 1 and 3, that the engagement of the slotted ends of the wedgeplates with the bolts 0 will insure a proper engagement of the pinionswith the cogs of the plates. And in the modification Fig. 5, thepresence of the bolts within the slots will effectually prevent anydisplacement of the plates.

In Fig. 10, I have shown one part of my invention applied to a quarterbox such as is frequently used on an engine bed K, in which the compoundseparator is turned up edgewise, the spindle 0 being horizontal, with aset-screwJ to hold the spindle in its adjusted position. In thismodification the pinion should be of an external diameter not largerthan the body of the spindle, so that the pinion will pass through thehole in the bed plate in which the spindle is seated. The mode ofoperation of the wedging separator with one face in contact with amovable box member and another face always in contact with a stationarypart of the pillow block, is closely analogous to the operation of thesame device in the other figures, although the relative arrangement ofthe parts is different.

In Fig. 10 I have omitted the supplemental plate F which I prefer to usein the other constructions because it increases the range ofadjustmentof which the invention is capable; it being apparent that whenthe plate F is used and the wedge-shaped plates have been moved into aposition the reverse of that shown in Fig. 4, to the limit of theirthrow, so that the cap of the box has been let down toward the base asmuch as is possible, the wedge-shaped plates may then be moved back intothe position shown in Fig. 4, so that their combined thickness has beenincreased to an amount about equal to the thickness of plate,

IIO

F, which may then be omitted, and afarther letting down of the-capattained by again sliding the wedge-shaped plate endwise as was.originally done to diminish their combined thickness.

It is obvious that where the required range of adjustment of the size ofthe shaft opening is comparatively slight, or in boxes or bearings inwhich the two members are united or joined to each other by a hinge orotherwise upon one side of the shaft opening, a separator will only berequired upon the opposite side of the shaft opening; and as theseparators are practically duplicates of each other, I prefer to referto them, in some of the claims, in the singular. I i

I am aware that wedging, cam-shaped, and other shaped adjusting deviceshave been used for thrusting one or both box members toward each otherand against the inclosed shaft; and that the boltswhich hold two boxmembers from being spread apart have been provided with collars orflanges which engage with the under surface of the upper box momber, sothat by turning the bolts backward, thusscrewing them out of their seatsin the lower box member, the size of the shaft opena ing could bevaried; and after suchadjust-' ment had been effected the upper boxmember could be clamped against the adjusting collars by means of nutsscrewed on the ends of the bolts which projected above the adjusted boxmember. the distance between the box members, and therefore the size ofthe shaft opening, has been properly determined, then the separator maybe clamped upon the lower box member and the upper box member clampedupon the separator by means of the ordinary bolts 1); or by means of anyof the other clamping devices which are employed in journal boxes, andwhich need not therefore be specifically referred to.

While I have explained the best mode now known to me for carrying out'my invention, I do not wish to be limited thereby; because manymodifications will readily suggest themselves to those skilled in theart without desides of the shaft opening, of a separator interposedbetween said members, and means whereby it is adjustable relatively toboth members of the box and has one part engaging with one member andanother part en- In my invention after gaging withanother member, thetwo parts being adjustable toward and from each other, substantially asset forth.

3. In a journal box, the combination, with two members which are upondifierent sides of the shaft opening, of a compound wedge shapedseparator the parts of which engage continuously with both members ofthe box and are movable longitudinally to the axis of the shaft opening,substantially as set forth.

4. In a journal box, the combination with two box members which are upondifferent sides of the shaft opening, of a separator interposed betweensaid members, and means whereby it is adjustable relatively to bothmembers of the box, and means carried by one member of the box foradjusting the sep arator to change the size of the shaft opening,substantially as set forth.

5. In a journal box, the combination with two box members-which areupondifferent sides of the shaft opening, of an interposed separator whichis adjustable relatively to both members of the journal box and whichengages continuously with both membersfor changing the size of the shaftopening, and devices for clamping both members of the journal box intofirm contact with opposite sides of theseparator after one member of thebox has been moved away fromthe other member, substantially as setforth.

6. In a journal box, the combination with two box members which are upondifferent sides of the shaft opening, of an interposed separator whichis adjustable relatively to both members of the box and which is adapted to move one box member away from the journal, and a supplementalpacking which is adapted to be removed to reduce the dis tance betweenthe parts of the box, substantially as set forth.

7; In a journal box, the combination with two box members which are uponopposite sides of the shaft opening, of an interposed two part separatorof which one part is movable relatively to the other to permit one boxmember to approach the journal without moving the journal, and devicesfor clamping the box members against both sides of the separator,substantially as set forth.

8. In a journal box, the combination with two box members which are uponopposite sides of the shaft opening, of an interposed separator adaptedto move one box member away from the shaft, and a spindle arranged at aright angle to the path traveled by the separator for moving theseparator, substantially as set forth.

9. In a journal box, the combination with two box members which are uponopposite sid es of the shaft opening, of a wedging separator which isprovided with a central slot one wall of the slot having teeth, and atoothed spindle engaging with the slotted separator for moving thelatter, substantially as set forth.

10. In a journal box, the combination with two box members of a wedgingseparator having two plates each slotted and provided with teeth, and atoothed spindle for simultaneously moving both plates in oppositedirections, substantially as set forth.

11. In a journal box, the combination with two box members of a wedgingseparator having two parts provided with slots and a guide passingperpendicularly through the slots, substantially as set forth.

12. In a journal box, the combination with two box members of aninterposed separator having two plates provided with slots, bolts forclamping the box members to the separator, and means carried by one ofthe box members for adjusting the separator to move one of the boxmembers away from the journal, substantially as set forth.

13. In a journal box, the combination with two box members, of aseparator centrally slotted and provided with teeth, a toothed spindlearranged in the slots and engaging with the teeth for adjusting theseparator, substantially as set forth.

14. In a journal box, the combination with two box members, of aseparator having two plates each slotted the upper plate having teethupon one side of its slot and the lower plate having teeth upon theopposite side of its slot, and a toothed spindle arranged in the slotsfor moving the plates simultaneously in opposite directions,substantially as set forth.

15. In a journal box having a movable member, the combination ofaseparator having two plates centrally slotted and movable relatively toeach other and engaging simultaneously with both box members forseparating said members, and a spindle mounted in the movable box memberand provided with a flange for clamping the separator to the movable boxmember, substantially as set forth.

16. In a journal box the combination with a stationary part and amovablebox member, of two wedging plates both of which are centrally slottedand are always in engagement with their respective parts of the bearingand a locking device one end of which is arranged in the slots forconnecting the plates to the bearing and preventing their accidentalendwise movement, substantially as set forth.

JAMES A. SANFORD.

W'itnesses:

D. G. PALMER, J. TI. IIANKS.

